Earlier this year, The Local Palate, a culinary magazine based in Charleston, South Carolina, nominated the city of Jackson and nine other cities in the top 10 for “The Best Culinary Town in the South.” On July 28, Visit Jackson announced that Jackson advanced to the top three, now competing against Durham, North Carolina, and Spartanburg, South Carolina, for the title.
Visit Jackson Director of External Affairs, Partnerships & Alliances Yolanda Clay-Moore said a contact at the magazine reached out to Visit Jackson to tell them the city was nominated.
“The Local Palate has been here, as they are one of the producers of the Jackson Food and Wine Festival, and they’ve had the experience of the wonderful foods here and the talented chefs that cook it … to know that this is one of the towns that should be considered,” she told the Mississippi Free Press.
Visit Jackson has made concerted efforts to promote the Jackson’s culinary scene, which Clay-Moore said is part of the city’s DNA. The organization has curated events like The Jackson Food and Wine Festival and initiatives such as Jxn Restaurant Week. Visit Jackson also helps host an expo at Hinds Community College wherein restauranteurs speak to students about opportunities in the industry.
“We value what they’re learning in these schools, and we want to keep the talent here. I think that’s the overarching message: that we want you to learn and grow in this field, but understand that you’re wanted here. You’re needed here,” she said.
The Jackson Food and Wine Festival, in particular, has added more exposure to the food scene here, and social media has also helped, leading to influencers like Darius Cooks visiting the city and reviewing different restaurants, she noted.
“(Darius) came to Jackson, and he talked about some of the wonderful dishes here. But we can even go back as far as when Coach Prime was here, how he loved Johnny T’s and promoted it. He wanted Johnny T’s to give his guys in Colorado that food experience that came authentically from Jackson,” Clay-Moore said.
Visit Jackson will be pushing the competition on their social-media pages to make sure people are aware. Residents can vote daily and can vote multiple times with any email address they have. Voting for a winner among the top three will take place through Thursday, July 31.
The winner will be announced in The Local Palate’s December issue. If Jackson wins, the accolade could increase food traffic to local restaurants and help elevate the capital city as a destination for culinary tourism among food lovers and travelers, Clay-Moore said. But even if Jackson doesn’t take the top spot, she’s still excited that it was recognized on the list.
“It still exposes us to the idea that Jackson is a contender,” the Visit Jackson representative said. “(People will say), ‘I need to go check Jackson out.’ And that goes for not only those who are looking at the magazine from other parts of the country, but those people that are right here—our neighbors, our bedroom communities and people throughout the state who overlook Jackson as a culinary destination.”
Online voting for the winner of The Local Palate’s “Best Culinary Town in the South” continues through Thursday, July 31. Vote here.
